Plastic surgeons can often improve the appearance of a scar, making it less obvious through the injection or application of certain steroid medications or through surgical procedures known as scar revisions.
At The Larrabee Center in Seattle and Kirkland, WA, renowned plastic surgeons Dr. Wayne Larrabee and Dr. Susan Kurian and their expert team lead the way in cosmetic treatments that can transform your appearance. Specializing in advanced scar revision, we combine artistry and precision to minimize the visibility of scars, seamlessly blending them with your natural skin tone and texture. Whether caused by injury or surgery, our personalized treatments—ranging from innovative non-invasive techniques to meticulous surgical procedures—are tailored to your unique needs. With a focus on personalized care and cutting-edge techniques, we are dedicated to helping you rediscover confidence and achieve smoother, more refined, and natural-looking skin. Experience the unparalleled expertise at The Larrabee Center—where medical excellence meets compassionate care.
Scar Revision Overview
Scar revision is a procedure designed to enhance the appearance of scars, making them less noticeable and more harmonious with the surrounding skin. Scars can result from injury, surgery, or burns and may vary greatly in size, texture, and location. Poorly healed scars or those that are raised, recessed, discolored, or restrict movement can benefit from this treatment. Using advanced medical techniques, scar revision aims to reduce their prominence and improve skin tone and texture, helping patients achieve a more refined and confident appearance.
How Scar Revision Works
Scar revision is a personalized medical procedure designed to improve the appearance of scars and restore skin aesthetics. Treatments range from non-invasive options like light therapy, chemical peels, and skin bleaching for subtle corrections, to more advanced techniques such as injectables or surgical interventions. Injectables, such as fillers, can help with recessed scars, while steroids are used to address raised scars. For deeper or more complex scars, surgical approaches like tissue expansion, incision revisions, or flap closures may be recommended. The extent of improvement depends on factors such as the type, size, and location of the scar. Your surgeon will evaluate your specific condition and suggest the most suitable treatment to meet your needs.
Benefits of Scar Revision
Scar revision offers multiple benefits, such as improving skin tone uniformity, restoring texture, and often enhancing functionality in cases where scars limit movement. Whether it’s addressing old surgical marks or scars caused by accidents, these treatments ensure a refined appearance that helps patients regain confidence.
Improving your appearance with scar revision surgery
Scars are visible signs that remain after a wound has healed. They are unavoidable results of injury or surgery, and their development can be unpredictable. Poor healing may contribute to scars that are obvious, unsightly, or disfiguring.
Even a wound that heals well can result in a scar that affects your appearance. Scars may be raised or recessed, different in color or texture from surrounding healthy tissue, or particularly noticeable due to their size, shape, or location.
Your treatment options may vary based on the type and degree of scarring and can include:
What is a Scar?
The different types of scars include:
Discoloration, surface irregularities, and other more subtle scars can be cosmetically improved by surgery or other treatments recommended by your plastic surgeon. These types of scars do not impair function or cause physical discomfort and include acne scars as well as scars resulting from minor injury and prior surgical incisions.
Keloids are larger than hypertrophic scars. They can be painful or itchy, and may also pucker. They extend beyond the edges of an original wound or incision. Keloids can occur anywhere on your body, but they develop more commonly where there is little underlying fatty tissue, such as on the face, neck, ears, chest, or shoulders.
Contractures are scars that restrict movement due to skin and underlying tissue that pull together during healing. They can occur when there is a large amount of tissue loss, such as after a burn. Contractures also can form where a wound crosses a joint, restricting the movement of the fingers, elbows, knees, or neck.
Hypertrophic scars are thick clusters of scar tissue that develop directly at a wound site. They are often raised, red, and/or uncomfortable, and they may become wider over time. They can be hyperpigmented (darker in color) or hypopigmented (lighter in color).
- Simple topical treatments
- Minimally invasive procedures
- Surgical revision with advanced techniques in wound closure
Scar revision surgery is meant to minimize the scar so that it is more consistent with your surrounding skin tone and texture. Although scar revision can provide a more pleasing cosmetic result or improve a scar that has healed poorly, a scar cannot be completely erased.
Is it right for me?
Scar revision is a highly individualized procedure and you should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. Scar revision can be performed on people of any age and is a good option for you if:
- You are bothered by a scar anywhere on your body
- You are physically healthy
- You do not smoke
- You have a positive outlook and realistic goals for your scar revision surgery
- You do not have active acne or other skin diseases in the area to be treated
The type of scar you have will determine the appropriate techniques your plastic surgeon will use to improve your scar.
What People Say About Us!
My experience at the Larrabee Center was positive from my first visit. I am so pleased to have found a Doctor with Dr. Larrabee’s skill, expertise, and caring. I am very pleased with the results of my surgery, which was a very difficult nose reconstruction! On all of my follow up visits, I was shown compassion and caring from Dr. Larrabee, Dr Patel, and the entire staff. I highly recommend the Larrabee Center. They are truly trustworthy and professional. I only wish I had found them several years ago!!”
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What to Expect During Your Consultation
The success and safety of your scar revision procedure depend very much on your complete candidness during your consultation. You’ll be asked a number of questions about your health, desires, and lifestyle.
Be prepared to discuss:
- Why do you want the surgery, your expectations, and desired outcome
- Medical conditions, drug allergies, and medical treatments
- Use of current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs
- Previous surgeries
Your surgeon may also:
- Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
- Examine your scar in detail
- Take photographs for your medical record
- Discuss your options and recommend a course of treatment
- Discuss likely outcomes and any risks or potential complications
What Happens During Scar Revision Surgery?
Step 1 – Anesthesia
Medications are administered for your comfort during surgical procedures. The choices include local anesthesia, intravenous sedation, and general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.
Step 2 – The treatment
The degree of improvement that can be achieved with scar revision will depend on the severity of your scarring and the type, size, and location of the scar. In some cases, a single technique may provide significant improvement. However, your plastic surgeon may recommend a combination of scar revision techniques to achieve the best results.
Topical treatments, such as gels, tapes, or external compression, can help in wound closure and healing, or reduce the ability of the skin to produce irregular pigment. These products may be used to treat existing surface scars and discoloration and to aid in the healing of scar revision procedures.
Injectable treatments are often used to fill depressed or concave scars. Depending on the injectable substance used and your particular scar conditions, results may last from three months to several years. Therapy must be repeated to maintain results.
One form of injection therapy uses steroidal-based compounds to reduce collagen formation and can alter the appearance, size, and texture of raised scar tissue.
Surface treatments are most often used for the cosmetic improvement of scars. These methods can soften surface irregularities and reduce uneven pigmentation. Surface treatments are a controlled means of either mechanically removing the top layers of skin or changing the nature of tissue. These treatment options include:
- Dermabrasion is a mechanical polishing of the skin.
- Laser or light therapy causes changes to the surface of the skin that allow new, healthy skin to form at the scar site.
- Chemical peel solutions penetrate the skin’s surface to soften irregularities in texture and color.
- Skin bleaching agents are medications applied topically to lighten the skin.
Step 3 – Sometimes for deeper scars an incision is needed to surgically remove the old scar.
Step 4 – Closing the incisions:
Some scars require layered closure. Layered closure is often used where excision extends to tissue below the skin surface or in areas with a high degree of movement. The first step, or layer, requires sub-dermal closure (below the skin surface) with absorbable or non-removable sutures. Layers of closure continue to build, concluding with the closure of the remaining surface wound.
Advanced techniques in scar revision include complex flap closure to reposition a scar so that it is less conspicuous, or improve flexibility where contracture has restricted mobility.
Pharmaceutical tissue substitutes may be used if ample healthy tissue is not present for the closure of a scar excision. This is more likely with the revision of severe burn scars.
Tissue expansion can be a substitute for skin grafts. In this procedure, an inflatable balloon called a tissue expander is placed under the skin near the scar site. Over time, the balloon is slowly filled with a sterile solution to expand the area of healthy skin.
Once the skin has been stretched sufficiently, the expander and the scar are removed and the stretched skin is moved to replace the scar tissue. This process can involve multiple surgical stages or procedures in order to achieve the final results.
Our team is committed to delivering the highest level of care, employing advanced techniques for minimal discomfort and maximum aesthetic improvement, ensuring you feel confident at every step of your scar revision experience.
What To Expect After a Scar Revision Procedure
The initial healing phase of a surgical scar revision may include localized swelling, discoloration, or discomfort and may take 1 to 2 weeks. Healing will continue for several weeks and as the new scar heals it will slowly refine and fade. With dermabrasion, chemical peel, or laser resurfacing, you will experience similar conditions in the treated area, in addition to overall sensitivity.
The final results of your scar revision surgery will be long-lasting; however, it may take several months for your final results to become apparent and in some cases, it may take a year for the new scar to fully heal and fade.
The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee, in some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary.
It is also crucial to follow the aftercare instructions provided by your surgeon carefully. Proper wound care, sun protection, and consistent follow-up visits will play a significant role in the success of the procedure and the appearance of the final scar. Your surgeon will guide you on the necessary steps to ensure the best possible outcome.
Scar Revision Recovery
The initial healing phase of a surgical scar revision may include localized swelling, discoloration, or discomfort and may take 1 to 2 weeks. Healing will continue for several weeks and as the new scar heals it will slowly refine and fade. With dermabrasion, chemical peel, or laser resurfacing, you will experience similar conditions in the treated area, in addition to overall sensitivity.
The final results of your scar revision surgery will be long-lasting, however, it may take several months for your final results to become apparent and in some cases, it may take a year for the new scar to fully heal and fade.
The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee, in some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary.
FAQ’s
What types of scars can be treated with scar revision?
We address keloids, hypertrophic scars, acne scars, discolorations, surface irregularities, and contractures caused by burns or injuries.
How long does it take to see results from scar revision treatments?
Noticeable improvement can occur within weeks, but full results may take several months to a year depending on your procedure.
What are the different methods used for scar revision?
Scar revision encompasses a range of techniques tailored to the type, severity, and location of the scar. Here are the most used methods:
Topical Treatments: These include gels, tapes, or silicone sheets that reduce discoloration and aid in scar healing. Skin bleaching agents and chemical peels may also be used for surface-level improvement.
Injectable Therapies: Substances like fillers or steroid-based compounds are injected to address raised or depressed scars by altering their appearance and texture.
Surface Treatments: Methods such as dermabrasion, laser therapy, or chemical peels are employed to remove damaged skin and stimulate the development of healthier skin, reducing irregularities.
Surgical Revision: This involves excision of the old scar, followed by a meticulous closure technique like layered closure or advanced flap strategies. For extensive cases like burn scars, tissue expansion or skin grafts may be needed.
Your plastic surgeon will evaluate the scar’s characteristics to recommend the most appropriate approach, ensuring improved appearance and integration with surrounding skin.
Is there downtime after a scar revision procedure?
Recovery time varies based on the chosen treatment—ranging from minimal downtime for surface treatments to a few weeks for surgical revisions.
Can scar revision completely remove a scar?
Scar revision can’t completely remove a scar, but it can make a noticeable difference by reducing its visibility and helping it blend more naturally with the surrounding skin. Our treatments are designed to significantly minimize the prominence of scars, leaving them far less noticeable.